Freedom From Religion
There's a terrific unsigned piece in the IHT about the way the doofuses pining away for the Republican nomination are falling all over themselves to emphasize their belief (sans evidence) in god, and going into all sorts of religio-patriotic "let's pretend" (let's distort, really). Here's an excerpt:
Romney filled his speech with the first myth - that the nation's founders, rather than seeking to protect all faiths, sought to imbue the United States with Christian orthodoxy....Romney dragged out the old chestnuts about "In God We Trust" on American currency, and the inclusion of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, conveniently omitting that those weren't the founders' handiwork, but were adopted in the 1950s, at the height of McCarthyism.
...He didn't mention Thomas Jefferson, who said he wanted to be remembered for writing the Declaration of Independence, founding the University of Virginia and drafting the first American law - a Virginia statute - guaranteeing religious freedom.
In his book, "American Gospel," Jon Meacham quotes James Madison as saying law was "meant to comprehend, with the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination."
The founders were indeed religious men, as Romney said. But they understood the difference between celebrating religious faith as a virtue, and imposing a particular doctrine, or even religion in general, on everyone. As Meacham put it, they knew that "many if not most believed, yet none must."
The other myth permeating the debate over religion is that it is a dispute between those who believe religion has a place in public life and those who advocate, as Romney put it, "the elimination of religion from the public square."
That same nonsense is trotted out every time a court rules that the Ten Commandments may not be displayed in a government building.
We believe democracy cannot exist without separation of church and state, not that public displays of faith are anathema. We believe, as did the founding fathers, that no specific religion should be elevated above all others by the government.
The authors of the Constitution knew that requiring specific declarations of religious belief (like Romney saying he believes Jesus was the son of God) is a step toward imposing that belief on all Americans. That is why they wrote in Article VI that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
And yet, religious testing has gained strength in the last few elections. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, has made it the cornerstone of his campaign. John McCain, another Republican who struggles to win over the religious right, calls America "a Christian nation."
CNN, shockingly, required the candidates at the recent Republican debate to answer a videotaped question from a voter holding a Christian edition of the Bible, who said: "How you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?"
The nation's founders knew the answer to that question says nothing about a candidate's fitness for office. It's tragic to see it being asked at a time when Americans need a president who will tell the truth, lead with conviction and restore the nation's moral standing - not one who happens to attend a particular church.
For Thomas Jefferson's far more modern views on religion, see my blog item on Mitt The Twit from the other day.
At this point, I'm grateful that at least one candidate has said that he won't talk about his religious beliefs "on the stump" - i.e. Fred Thompson. And I am a churchgoer (well, an occasional churchgoer) - I'm just looking to elect a president, rather than a priest. We'll see how long Thompson sticks to this (especially now that he seems to be stepping up campaigning) but I liked his original quotes on the subject:
"Me getting up and talking about what a wonderful person I am and that sort of thing, I'm not comfortable with that, and I don't think it does me any good."
"I know that I'm right with God and the people I love....[It's] just the way I am not to talk about some of these things."
(Note: I don't expect the guy to refuse to answer questions from potential voters, but I do expect, if he follows these original assertions, to avoid bringing the subject up himself. We'll see if that expectation is met with action.)
marion at December 10, 2007 8:38 AM
"How you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?"
That will tell quite a bit. If the answer is "yes," there is NO WAY they'd get my vote.
Morbideus at December 10, 2007 11:02 AM
I met my ex-wife when we were both 14. Her parents were strict religious pentacostals so we were rarely ever allowed to see each other unless we were doing something 'OF GOD'. The only way I ever convinced her parents to take her to a drive in movie with another couple was by telling them it was a full length cartoon, and I didn’t lie, it was. Remember, ‘Fritz the Cat’? By the time we were 16, we were fooling around some and the only way we could ever do it was to go to church together and park in the woods on the way home. So one day she asked me if I wanted to come to church to see this real great evangelist, and I thought, 'anything for a piece of ass', so I went. The young evangelists name was Samuel Kinison. Yes, HIM. He had short brown hair and a tan leisure suit. He preached the same way he later did comedy, by yelling and screaming and jumping all over the stage. This church, Faith Temple Assemblies of God church in west Michigan, had about two hundred people in it and being a fairly small church, it was pretty packed. Me and my ex were sitting right in the middle. As Sam went on, I kept thinking to myself, 'this guy is sooooooo full of shit.' A couple of times I was actually rolling my eyes and he noticed it. Then, he stopped right in the middle of what he was saying and said, people, I have a heavy burden on my heart for a young man in the church today, he needs to be delivered from a demon!! I thought, 'no you son of a bitch, you wouldn't dare!' Then he pointed to me and said, "You son, come up here and be delivered from Satan!" I immediately started looking for the nearest doors. The rest of the people in the congregation started getting up and moving toward me! I panicked, I started thinking of ‘Rosemarys baby’ anal probes, you name it, and then they started putting their hands on me. I bolted, running down the aisle toward the door with my girlfriend running behind me yelling, stop, stop. We got out the door and jumped in that GTO and laid rubber out of their. I was fucking terrified. Two weeks later, she asked me if I wanted to go to youth meeting. I thought ‘anything for sex’, and we went. Sam was there. This was more of a teenage social rather than a preachy thing. So he came up to me and said something like, “brother, I really think I can help bring you to the lord.” I looked him right in the eye and said, “Sam, I don’t know whats going on in that head of yours, but I’m almost positive, it’s not what I heard on that stage.” He looked back at me with just the slightest hint of a smirk, and said, “Peace be with you brother.”
Thus ended my association with the church for the rest of my life.
Bikerken at December 10, 2007 3:41 PM
That's a pretty good story, Bikerken.
I'd heard Sam talk about those days, and he kind of indicated it was a gig.
doombuggy at December 10, 2007 4:53 PM
"In God We Trust" is often given as proof that we are a Christian nation. Yes, it is a statement of belief in a diety, or creator, but not exclusively Christian. More to the point. It is a Masonic affirmation. Freemasonry is not Christian. It accepts Jews and Muslims. I've known Masons who have lodged in the Middle East, where the Koran is placed on the altar rather than the Bible. Of course, many, if not most, of the fanatics who demand a religious litmus test for being president would cringe at this fact. Heaven forbid we have a president who is a Muslim and a Mason. Not to mention another annoying bit of history. If we are a Christian nation, why did the founders insist on a secular rule of law? Maybe it is that with the Church of Rome and the Church of England, the founders knew that Christian nations are not free.
bob at December 10, 2007 5:08 PM
I trust that I have the ability to reason, and work my way forward from there.
Amy Alkon at December 10, 2007 5:24 PM
Just wanted to mention that the first time "in god we trust" was used on currency was actually the 2 cent coin of 1864, height of the civil war. Predated McCarthy by quite some time.
abersouth at December 10, 2007 6:32 PM
"E pluribus unum" would be far superior to igwt.
Norman at December 11, 2007 5:47 AM
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